Chapter 85: Drawing Back

Chapter 85: Drawing Back

"The Second Prince?" Noble Consort Jiang murmured, seeing her fully adorned reflection stand up and softly asked, "Is His Majesty in the warm chamber?"

"Yes," Qing Feng confirmed.

Jiang Hui nodded and walked towards the warm pavilion. As Hong Yu lifted the curtain for her, the voice of the Emperor came from inside.

"No, no, Nian'er, this is Daddy's crown. If you take it off, it might scare your mother!"

Jiang Hui paused her steps, thinking to herself that she had seen it before, and entered the room with a faint smile on her face.

Nian'er, with sharp ears, heard Jiang Hui coming and twisted in the Emperor's arms, letting go of the golden dragon crown on his head, and happily exclaimed to Jiang Hui, "Mommy!"

Jiang Hui's smile deepened as she first bowed to the Emperor and then stepped forward to take Nian'er into her arms.

The Emperor cautioned, "Nian'er, don't kick your mother. There is a little brother in her belly."

Nian'er, not quite understanding, stopped moving while hugging Jiang Hui's neck.

"How does Your Majesty know it's a brother? What if it's a sister?" Jiang Hui playfully asked.

Emperor Xiao Sheng did not answer but smiled at Jiang Hui and helped her to sit down on the chair.

The evening meal was already set on the Eight Immortals table. Shi Liu came forward to take Nian'er away, turning behind the screen to place him in a small chair specially made by the Palace Attendant Office, and began to play with him — Nian'er had already eaten his meal early and did not need to eat again.

The servants came forward to serve the dishes, and Jiang Hui and the Emperor ate their dinner in silence. The sky had darkened completely.

After Nian'er was coaxed to sleep by Shi Liu, Jiang Hui, who had slept until the evening, was not sleepy and casually picked a book from the shelf to read.

The Emperor also showed no intention of leaving and sat down next to Jiang Hui under the lamp to read.

He continued reading the same book he had started earlier, which was a book on agriculture, surprising Jiang Hui.

Seeing her expression, Emperor Xiao Sheng explained, "Last year's second-place scholar in the imperial examination wrote about some methods of benefiting the people through agriculture, so I thought of learning more about it."

Jiang Hui earnestly commented, "Farming is the foundation of all people. Your Majesty’s action, if known outside, would be praised as a blessing for the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Emperor Xiao Sheng revealed a smile, his mind still immersed in the book, not uttering another word.

Jiang Hui didn't disturb him either. She personally brightened the candlelight and sat next to Xiao Sheng, also burying herself in reading.

Fengyi Palace.

The newly born Second Prince, after being fed breast milk, was sound asleep in his swaddling clothes. The Empress stood by the cradle, staring at him for a long time, before instructing the wet nurse and servants to take good care of him, and then returned to the main room with Chunyan's assistance.

Although the Second Prince was a child born from a difficult labor by Concubine Zhao, he was not frail. His loud cries at birth brought the last smile to his biological mother in this world.

Yet, his biological father seemed indifferent to his birth. When the Empress sent people to Jianzhang Palace to report the joyous news, the Emperor merely responded with an indifferent "I see," and then went to Yaohua Palace.

Yaohua Palace.

The Empress murmured these three words in her heart, no longer feeling the initial resentment towards the favor Yaohua Palace received.

She secretly thought that if she didn't conceive again, perhaps the Second Prince would become her only son, and a healthy one at that.

Born motherless, why worry about not being able to raise him as her own child?

The Empress changed her clothes, undid her hair, and sat on the bed, asking Chunyan in a low voice, "Have the Eldest Princess and the Second Princess fallen asleep?"

"Rest assured, Your Highness, they have both gone to sleep," Chunyan replied softly.

The Empress nodded and turned to Chunyan, speaking solemnly, "You've been told about today's events at Changmen Palace?"

"Yes." Chunyan handed honey water to the Empress, elaborating softly, "Concubine Zhao's midwife was stopped by the servants of Noble Consort Jiang. She couldn't get close, but according to those present, even though the servants appeared tense, none specifically protected Noble Consort Jiang's belly."

"They didn't specifically protect her belly?" The Empress took a sip of the honey water, handed the cup back to Chunyan, and then asked, "Were the dregs of the anti-miscarriage medicine that Concubine Zhao drank properly disposed of?"

"It's been taken care of," Chunyan promptly replied. "Please be assured, Your Highness. Today's overt attack on Noble Consort Jiang was by Concubine Zhao's people. She has always harbored hatred towards Noble Consort Jiang, so a desperate attempt before her death is not surprising."

Chunyan paused before continuing, "Also, Physician Qiu hurried into the delivery room upon hearing of Concubine Zhao's difficult labor, so he didn't notice the commotion outside."

The Empress nodded and spoke softly, "Everything appears flawless publicly, but with the Noble Consort's intelligence, she must have guessed today's schemes. However, unlike Consort Hu, how can one confess without evidence? And as the Emperor's principal wife and Empress, even if he believes her story, he wouldn't act rashly."

After a lengthy reassurance, she added, "Since we couldn't cause her miscarriage today, we must be wary of her sudden retaliation."

"Your Highness, Noble Consort Jiang is due to show her pregnancy in April, and it's already early March. Since this attempt failed… If we're to be implicated, we need to plan further," said Chunyan gravely.

The Empress, after a moment of contemplation, coldly remarked, "If we can't prevent it, we just need to find a scapegoat."

Chunyan looked startled, and Chunyan's eyes flickered as she inquired, "Your Highness, are you suggesting…?"

The Empress nodded slightly, speaking sternly, "Tomorrow afternoon, go to Xiuxiaxuan and invite Lady Sun to Fengyi Palace."

The next day, after the concubines finished paying their respects, the Empress was about to visit the Second Prince when Qingmama quietly entered, whispering, "Your Highness, the Emperor berated Marquis Changping in the Taiji Hall this morning. He stripped him of his official position for poor family management and ordered him to retire. Even the Marquis's second son has been reassigned from the Hanlin Academy to be a magistrate in Liangzhou."

The Empress stood up in surprise, asking in detail, "Is it the same Zhao Quan who was the top scholar?"

"Yes," confirmed Qingmama.

The Empress's heart sank. She had thought the Zhao family, being the Emperor's maternal relatives and having merit from the witchcraft incident, wouldn't lose their dignity over this matter.

With the Empress Dowager absent, the Emperor seemed to be shedding his restraints…

Stabilizing her emotions, she inquired further, "What about Physician Qiu? Is he still at the Imperial Medical Bureau?"

Qingmama answered solemnly, "Physician Qiu has resigned."

"What?!" The Empress's voice rose slightly, then suppressed her unease, "Did he give any reason for his sudden resignation?"

Qingmama shook her head, saying respectfully, "Physician Qiu left in a hurry, without saying anything, taking his family with him. He even sold his three-section residence in the capital through a broker."

"Your Highness, what does this mean…?" Chunyan spoke in a low, alarmed voice.

The Empress slowly sat back in her armchair, closed her eyes, and thought for a moment before calmly saying, "Xia Chan, there's no need to summon Lady Sun anymore."

"Yes," Xia Chan quickly replied.

However, the Empress suddenly said, "No, go ahead and call her as usual."